When they arrived at our center for both the presence of thyroid nodules and elevated serum calcitonin values, the MTC was already metastatic, and the older patient had already developed a bilateral PHEO.
We used pyrosequencing and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCT) approaches to examine BRAF<sup>V600E</sup> mutation and TMPRSS4 mRNA level in FNAB specimens of thyroid nodules.
Measurement of PCT is a sensitive and accurate method for detecting MTC in patients with thyroid nodules and can thus be a reliable alternative to CT measurement.
After thyroidectomy, the histology and immunohistochemistry (negative forcalcitonin and positive for chromogranin A) confirmed the neuroendocrine origin of the thyroid nodules, possibly referable to previous lung carcinoid.
Basal Serum Calcitonin, After Calcium Stimulation, and in the Needle Washout of Patients with Thyroid Nodules and Mild or Moderate Basal Hypercalcitoninemia.
We report on the current use of plasma calcitonin measurements in the context of changing practice which has not included screening of all thyroid nodules.
Patients ≥18 years of age with a solitary hypofunctioning thyroid nodule (≥10 mm), normal thyrotropin and calcitonin levels, and a cytological diagnosis of follicular neoplasm were prospectively enrolled.
The measurement of calcitonin in washout fluids of thyroid nodule aspirate (FNA-calcitonin) has been reported as accurate to detect medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).
A 38-year-old woman with a thyroid nodule measuring approximately 2 cm was suspected to have medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) because of markedly elevated serum calcitonin and carcinoembryonic antigen levels.
As for adults, the diagnosis of childhood MTC is based on serum calcitonin (Ct) and neck ultrasound with fine-needle aspiration if a thyroid nodule is present.
Of the 13 carriers, seven (mean age: 42.6 years, range: 27-64) presented MTC as the isolated clinical phenotype, with elevated basal serum calcitonin (average: 1077.9 ng/L, range: 504-2,652) and a mean diameter of thyroid nodules of 2.97 cm (range: 1.6-4.3); they underwent a total thyroidectomy with modified bilateral/unilateral neck dissection and/or level VI lymph node dissection.
Screening for MTC in the United States with basal serum calcitonin for patients with thyroid nodules would cost $11,793 per life-year saved (LYS), compared with colonoscopy and mammography screening.
A second step to diagnose medullary thyroid carcinoma is calcitonin measurement before surgery, which is sensitive and specific enough to detect medullary thyroid carcinoma in patients with thyroid nodules.
As compared to 1.1 cases of MTC per 1,000 patients with nodular thyroid diseases diagnosed in our institution before hCT screening was begun, 3.2 cases of MTC per 1,000 patients were identified when hCT was determined in all patients with thyroid nodules.
A case of spurious hypercalcitoninemia: a cautionary tale on the use of plasma calcitonin assays in the screening of patients with thyroid nodules for neoplasia.
Serum calcitonin screening has recently been found to be a useful supplement to fine-needle aspiration biopsy, ultrasound and radionuclide imaging in the evaluation of thyroid nodules.